TABLE OF CONTENTS Although the history of embedded systems is relatively short, [4] the advances and successes of this field have been dramatic. Embedded systems are found in a vast array of applications such as consumer electronics, smart devices, communication equipment, automobiles, desktop computers, and medical equipment. [5]
[4]The first embedded system was probably developed in 1971 by the Intel Corporation, which produced the 4004 microprocessor chip for a variety of business calculators. The same chip was used for all the calculators, but software in ROM provided unique functionality for each calculator.
[5]Approximately 98% of all microprocessors are used in embedded systems. Turley, Jim. The Two Percent Solution, Embedded Systems Programming, Vol. 16, No. 1, January 2003.
In recent years, the line between embedded and non-embedded systems has blurred, largely because embedded systems have acquired so many new capabilities. However, for practical purposes, an embedded system is defined here as one dedicated to a specific purpose and consisting of a compact, fast, and extremely reliable operating system that controls the microprocessor located inside a device. Included in the embedded system is a collection of programs that run under that operating system, and of course, the microprocessor. [6]
Because an embedded system is part of a larger system or device, it is typically housed on a single microprocessor board and the associated programs are stored in ROM. [7] Because most embedded systems must respond to inputs within a small period of time,...
